Equalization Factors

IMPORTANT: The data appearing on this web pager reflects an estimate of the tentative township equalization factors based upon information available on November 26, 2018.This information reflects the median level of assessment for each township in 2016 and 2017 as calculated by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR).It also reports the results from a 2018 Lake County sales ratio study, which produced a median ratio for each township and that was then adjusted in a similar fashion that IDOR would perform. These results below will change once IDOR evaluates the 2018 assessment value reports from Lake County for each township and once the agency has also finalized its own 2018 sales ratio study for each township in Lake County.

2019 Summary Statistics for Township Equalization

Township

Adjusted Median

3 Year
Average
Level of
Assessment

2018
Final
Multiplier

2019
Tentative
Multiplier

2016

2017

2018

Antioch

33.63

30.75

29.68

31.35

1.0506

1.0631

Avon

32.94

31.54

29.73

31.40

1.0631

1.0613

Benton

34.08

31.72

31.17

32.32

1.0630

1.0312

Cuba

33.80

32.69

31.99

32.83

1.0205

1.0153

Ela

33.08

33.17

32.74

33.00

1.0122

1.0101

Fremont

32.61

32.49

31.82

32.31

1.0325

1.0317

Grant

33.43

31.52

30.74

31.90

1.0819

1.0450

Lake Villa

34.05

32.26

30.64

32.32

1.0274

1.0314

Libertyville

33.45

32.37

32.25

32.69

1.0326

1.0196

Moraine

33.57

33.66

34.29

33.84

1.0058

0.9850

Newport

32.77

32.40

32.15

32.44

1.0189

1.0274

Shields

33.15

32.94

33.62

33.24

1.0170

1.0028

Vernon

33.32

32.55

32.41

32.76

1.0239

1.0174

Warren

33.38

32.29

31.22

32.30

1.0295

1.0319

Wauconda

33.15

34.20

29.78

32.38

1.0117

1.0294

Waukegan

32.67

29.63

27.47

29.92

1.1303

1.1139

West Deerfield

33.16

33.96

33.94

33.69

1.0032

0.9894

Zion

33.40

30.78

28.58

30.92

1.0780

1.0780

About Equalization

Equalization is the application of a uniform percentage increase or decrease to assessed values of various areas or classes of property in order to bring assessment levels, on average, to the same percentage of market value.

In Lake County, on an annual basis the Chief County Assessment Officer determines the level of assessment in each township based upon the sales transactions that have occurred in the three years prior to the assessment date. This year's assessment valuation data is January 1, 2019. In analyzing the sales from the three previous years (2016, 2017, 2018) the CCAO takes the median level of assessment for each of those years, averages those medians, to determine the adjustment in assessments required in a township. Once the assessor has completed their assessment roll for the year, the CCAO analyzes the changes in assessments by class (residential, commercial and industrial) and determines what further adjustments are needed in a township, by applying a township multiplier to all non-farm parcels in the jurisdiction.

The Equalization Process

The equalization process is intended to bring the three year average of the median assessment levels in a township to 33.33% of market value, which is our statutory requirement in Illinois. Once the Lake County Board of Review has finalized its work in a given tax year, the Illinois Department of Revenue then takes on its role in performing equalization that is applicable to the entire county.